Legally: 

  • A pastor has complete freedom to preach about biblical perspectives on current social issues without discussing any specific pending legislation.  There is no limit when preaching in general terms about social issues. 
  • In keeping with 501(C)(3) regulations, churches may support or oppose specific legislation with their time and resources to an insubstantial degree. Most tax practitioners generally advise that charities can safely devote 3-5% of their overall activities toward these type of activities which are considered lobbying by the IRS. 
  • The church may distribute position papers that support or oppose specific proposed legislation. 
  • The church may use its facilities to allow lobbying groups to discuss social issues (subject to 5% rule). 
  • The church may engage in education on the political process and provide information regarding political issues. 
  • IRS Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1828.pdf 
  • Alliance Defending Freedom – Pastor’s, Churches, & Politics: 5 Things to Know

The hands of the church are NOT tied by 501(C)(3) regulations. There is much the local church can do to oppose this radical ballot initiative. 

On Nov 7, 2022,  voters in Michigan approved a similar radical pro-abortion amendment to the state’s constitution — with 55.7% of the vote.  Here’s a major reason why Michigan pro-lifers lost their battle, from a pastor in Stark County, Ohio: 

“One of the most shocking revelations after Michigan’s loss was that church goers claimed they had no idea this amendment was even on the ballot. The most grievous fact was that their pastors knew about it (from Right to Life groups) but refused to speak or become involved. The enemy is truly coming in like a flood (Is. 59:19) and we cannot be like Michigan pastors and stay silent.” 

 
To Inform Members and the Community: 

  • Pulpit, class, and large event announcements (Voter Links and QR codes can be shown on any screen): 
  • Church-wide emails about the ballot initiative and voting date reminders 
  • Social Media posts about the ballot initiative and voting date reminders 
  • Community-wide postcard mailings to inform residents about the ballot initiative and election dates 
  • Contact Jenny Shoup to schedule a speaker to address the Nov. 7 abortion amendment (jenny@hoperising.org or 937-250-6569) 
  • Sample Pro-Life Sermon – This sample sermon was prepared for use in Ohio in 2023 by Reason for Life. It is available for download and may be modified for your purposes and used without attribution.

Important Dates 

  • September 22 – Military & Overseas Absentee Voting begins
  • October 10 – DEADLINE to register to vote. Boards open until 9 p.m.
  • October 11 – EARLY IN-PERSON VOTING begins, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (includes Sat. & Sun. before Election Day) Absentee voting by mail begins
  • November 7 – Election Day Voting. Polls open 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.